Ovolo Hotel, Woolloomooloo, Sydney

Tanya Ritter is with the heritage-meets-modern-luxury Ovolo Hotel located harbour-side, on Woolloomooloo Wharf. Location-wise, it is perfect: just a short stroll from the trendy inner-city eastern-suburb hubs of Potts Point and Kings Cross, and 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district. We asked Tanya to share her cheat-sheet for getting the most out of a stay on picturesque Sydney Harbour, whether it is raining or shining…

Tanya Ritter

Your most popular request…

Apart from the constant questions about my workout regimen, I get asked a lot about the history of the wharf where the hotel is located. We are situated in a 400 metre long wharf that is just over 100 years old, originally built as a Wool loading wharf, it has served as: a passenger terminal, storage during the war, the navy gymnasium until it was re-purposed into the final iteration that we see today.

Your favourite locale when enjoying a day off…

The view from North Head, over the other side of the water where the Harbour meets the sea there is a fantastic view of the city skyline, from a different position than the stereotypical “Sydney” shot. There are great walks out at the National Park with amazing ocean views off the cliffs.

Best coffee…

If I said Phoebe at our lobby cafe Baker’s Gonna Bake it would seem slightly biased; however I do really like the strong dark and creamy coffee from the small Cafe Glider on Victoria Street at Potts Point.

Where we must go for lunch…

In the wharf at Woolloomooloo we have 7 of the city’s best restaurants, however one that stands apart is China Doll, their pork belly is to die for and their food and service continues to impress, although I would absolutely recommend booking in advance as they can book out weeks in advance.

It’s a rainy day outside but we want to explore…

All our rooms come with an umbrella, perfect for that unexpected rainy Sydney day shouldn’t let a little rain ruin your holiday. But if you are a little more precious, you can absolutely take a quick trip into the city centre to look at some of the largest shopping districts in Australia, whether you’re at the mainstream Pitt Street Mall or the boutique, bespoke and architecturally fascinating Queen Victoria Building you will find at least a days worth of things to buy. However if you were after something a bit further afield there are great day trips running down to the Blue Mountains which are spectacular on rainy days, with the waterfalls and subtropical rain forest – also other people are wimps and won’t go out on wet days so you will have the place to yourself.

An absolute must-do or must-see before leaving Sydney…

The beaches in Sydney are some of the best in the world, and you have a number of choices. If you are after the busy, frantic beach full of bold and the beautiful Bondi may be the choice for you, if you were maybe looking for something a little more low key and you were actually interested in swimming Maroubra or Coogee would be the way to go, or if you are after a nice relaxed beach with cafe’s, restaurants, waves and good bars nearby I would recommend Manly; they believe they are still part of Sydney but are actually a small country town, more laid back and separate from the hustle and/or bustle of the city beaches.

What you love about your hotel…

The F word, at Ovolo we have so many Free things, FREE mini bar, FREE breakfast, FREE Happy Hour, you aren’t going to get the $7 price gouge for a bottle of water from the minibar or cafe that you would get at other luxury hotels.

Something we should know about when visiting Sydney…

Sydney is a very friendly city, if you’re lost just ask someone and you’ll be set on the right path. There is lots to do if you stray from the beaten path, there is so much more to Sydney than the Opera House or the Harbour Bridge.

To find out more about the Ovolo Woolloomooloo, or to book, click here.